(2019-08-19). Democrats Have an Open Senate Seat in New Mexico. Will They Elect a Progressive, or the Former Head of the DCCC? theintercept.com 
With Sen. Tom Udall retiring, the Democratic Party establishment is unified behind Ben Ray Luján. The Working Families Party endorsed Maggie Oliver.
(2019-08-19). White Terror: Toni Morrison on the Construct of Racism. counterpunch.org 
"To lose one's racial-ized rank is to lose one's own valued and enshrined difference," writes Toni Morrison in The Origin of Others. In a 2016 post-election essay entitled "Mourning for Whiteness," this sense of loss and the ensuing disorientation become Morrison's focus. In today's America as "people of color" are increasingly occupying everywhere including the Senate, More
(2019-08-19). Tulsi Gabbard Gets Some Vindication. globalresearch.ca In the aftermath of the second Democratic primary debate on July 31, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard emerged as the most Googled of all candidates, an indication that her performance (which included a stunning takedown of California Sen. Kamala Harris…
(2019-08-19). Criminal War Propaganda Directed against Iraq and Syria: "We Think the Price Is Worth It." globalresearch.ca When we play their game, we will always lose, and they will always win. "They" are the largely unelected "Permanent State", sometimes called the "Deep State". "They" are the publicly bailed-out transnational, corporate monopolies and their political fronts that destroy …
(2019-08-19). Turkey-Syria War on the Horizon: Airstrikes Target Invading Turkish Army Convoy. theantimedia.com Turkey and Syria could be headed for war as their armies increasingly clash on front lines in southern Idlib.
(2019-08-19). Al Qaeda Militants are Drugged. 400,000 Amphetamine Captagon Pills Confiscated by Syrian Security Forces. globalresearch.ca Syrian security forces have deprived terrorists of more than 400,000 Captagon pills. On 17 August, authorities in the suburbs of Damascus seized a truck with hidden compartments filled with a large quantity of this Amphetamine-type Stimulant (ATS) known as Captagon….
(2019-08-19). U.S. States: We Weren't Hacked by Russians in 2016. globalresearch.ca A "bombshell" Senate Intelligence Committee report released in July repeated the familiar claim that Russia targeted the electoral websites of at least 21 states—but statements from the states themselves effectively undermine that narrative. | It turns out the reality is dramatically …
(2019-08-19). Anti-War Committee denounces Israel's ban of Omar and Tlaib. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following August 15 statement from the Twin Cities based Anti-War Committee. | The Minnesota Anti-War Committee condemns the Israeli government's August 15 decision not to allow US Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering occupied Palestine, to which the Israeli state controls all access. Reps. Omar and Tlaib join the thousands of peace activists, human rights officials and people of conscience around the world who are denied entry over their support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel and its Zionist policies of occu…
(2019-08-19). Red States Cut Worker Pay by $1.5 Billion. truthout.org | | Last month, the House voted to incrementally raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. | If the Senate passes the bill, it would be the first federal minimum wage increase in more than a decade — far too long for residents of the 21 states that don't have their own higher minimum wage. | Here's another sad truth: Plenty of cities in those states have tried to raise their minimum wage, only to be stymied by state lawmakers. That's thanks to state preemption laws that keep localities from adopting all kinds of policies,…
(2019-08-19). Amy Klobuchar: The favorite Democrat of Senate Republicans. wsws.org Underneath the banality of Klobuchar's presidential campaign are pro-war, right-wing politics.
(2019-08-19). Trump administration calls for permanent restoration of bulk phone communications surveillance. wsws.org The outgoing director of National Intelligence appealed to Congress for the restoration of the surveillance program that was exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
(2019-08-19). Tell Congress to pass the Stop Wall Street Looting Act. nationofchange.org Wall Street private firms and investment funds make their money by buying and selling companies. According to Vox, these firms raise money privately, usually getting the funding from "institutional investors, such as pension funds, or accredited investors — investors who meet a certain set of criteria that allow them to make riskier bets." | With this "big money," they typically go after companies that are either struggling or have a high potential for…
(2019-08-19). One Budget Line Congress Can Agree On: Spending Billions on the US Military. commondreams.org While the U.S. has the most powerful military machine in history, it is also incomparably the most expensive — and members of Congress work aggressively to maintain it. (Photo: Scott Nelson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/usmilitary.jpeg …
(2019-08-19). UCSC Resource Centers Statement on Thirty Meter Telescope. indybay.org The UCSC Resource Centers stand in solidarity with the Native Hawaiian community in their opposition to the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawai'i. This 18-story telescope will destroy sacred lands and cause substantial impact to the ecosystems of the island overall.
(2019-08-19). Strategy Meeting: Pass the DNC Resolution for a Presidential Climate Debate. indybay.org Parc 55 Hotel, Ballroom | 55 Cyril Magnin Street | San Francisco, CA 94102…
(2019-08-19). 1.7 Million Turn Out for Hong Kong Demonstration With Vow to 'Keep Fighting' as Protests Enter 11th Week. commondreams.org Protests in Hong Kong that broke out in June over a now-shelved extradition bill have entered their 11th consecutive week, with a series of events over the weekend that included a peaceful mass demonstration Sunday that organizers said was attended by as many as 1.7 million people. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11687383021.jpg …
(2019-08-19). Netanyahu is called out as a 'bully' for banning Omar and Tlaib from entering occupied Palestine. thecanary.co 
Feminist Gloria Steinem called Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "bully" for banning US congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from visiting occupied Palestine. Steinem's message reminds us how important it is to stand against right-wing racists and bullies. | The congresswomen respond | This is how congresswoman Omar responded at the…
(2019-08-18). Amy McGrath's Senate Campaign Manager Helped Get Her Potential Primary Opponent Fired. theintercept.com 
WLEX, a Kentucky TV station, fired host Matt Jones, who has been pondering a primary challenge to Amy McGrath, at the urging of her campaign manager.
(2019-08-18). 13 arrested, 6 injured after Portland protests descend into violence. rt.com 
Police have arrested 13 people on a range of charges, including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and unlawful use of a weapon, after right-wing demonstrators squared off with Antifa counter-protesters in Portland, Oregon. | Speaking at a press conference in the wake of the protests in Portland, which were marred by sporadic incidents of violence, city mayor Ted Wheeler hailed police for doing "an exemplary job of de-escalating the situation." He described the demonstration as a "largely peaceful event" despite the emergence of multiple videos documenting attacks mostly by Antifa on right-wing demonstrators…
(2019-08-18). 13 arrested, 6 injured after Portland protests descend into violence. rt.com 
Police have arrested 13 people on a range of charges, including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and unlawful use of a weapon, after right-wing demonstrators squared off with Antifa counter-protesters in Portland, Oregon. | Speaking at a press conference in the wake of the protests in Portland, which were marred by sporadic incidents of violence, city mayor Ted Wheeler hailed police for doing "an exemplary job of de-escalating the situation." He described the demonstration as a "largely peaceful event" despite the emergence of multiple videos documenting attacks mostly by Antifa on right-wing demonstrators…
(2019-08-18). Destruction of the Pillars of the Syrian Economy: Terrorists Destroy Grain Silos, Farmer Tractors in Tal Al-Sakhr, North West of Hama. globalresearch.ca Nothing new with the crimes committed by the Turkish pariah Erdogan's most loyal terrorists in Syria, like their sponsor Erdogan and like Israel, they are not satisfied with the crimes they commit upon entering a town, and during their presence, …
(2019-08-18). Political Propaganda directed against the Syrian Government of Bashar Al Assad. globalresearch.ca Very recently, National Public Radio (NPR) conducted an interview throwing suspicion on and mocking Asma, the wife of the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian First Lady had recently done a Syrian TV interview announcing that she …
(2019-08-18). Video: Syrian Army Overwhelms Militants' Defense in Southern Idlib. globalresearch.ca The southern part of Idlib province and the northern part of Hama province remain the main areas of hostilities in Syria. | On August 14, a Su-22 warplane of the Syrian Air Force was shot down during a combat sortie over …
(2019-08-18). The Christian Left, Appalled by Treatment of Migrants, Is Reviving in America. truthout.org | | Holding pictures of migrant children who have died in U.S. custody and forming a cross with their bodies on the floor of the Russell Senate Office Building, 70 Catholics were arrested in July for obstructing a public plac…
(2019-08-18). Donald and Ronald. commondreams.org Congresspeople watch closely as President Ronald Reagan signs into law a tax overhaul on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. on October 22, 1986 (Photo: Bob Daugherty/AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/donald_ronald.jpg …
(2019-08-18). US Congresswoman Accuses Tribes and Environmentalists of "Destroying Our Western Way of Life" over Sacred Grizzly Protections. globalresearch.ca On a momentous day for Tribal Nations, Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY), the House Republican Conference Chairwoman, stated that the successful litigation by tribes and environmentalists to return the grizzly bear in Greater Yellowstone to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) "was …
(2019-08-18). Colombia's Duque Shuns Nobel Winner Meeting Rape Survivors. telesurenglish.net Colombian President Ivan Duque was slammed for refusing to meet with Nobel Laureate Denis Mukwege who visited the country to support the victims of sexual violence. | RELATED: | Colombian Social Leader Shot a Day After Global March Against Activists' Killings | The physician from Congo won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for his "efforts to end the use of se…
(2019-08-18). Hundreds of Thousands Turn Out for Peaceful Hong Kong Protest. truthdig.com Organizers say at least 1.7 million pro-democracy demonstrators showed up in heavy rain for a rare calm weekend in the Chinese territory.
(2019-08-18). Meet Tom Gallagher, the Democratic Socialist Challenging Nancy Pelosi in 2020. commondreams.org Longtime progressive activist and political organizer Tom Gallagher is challenging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her congressional seat in 2020. (Photo: Gallagher for Congress) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-16_at_1.02.06_pm.png …
(2019-08-17). Tulsi Gabbard lists political correctness among threats to American values. rt.com 
Widespread efforts to silence speech deemed to be offensive threaten US constitutional rights, Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard says. Her latest campaign ad takes aim at the hot-button issue of political correctness. | In a new campaign video posted on Twitter, Gabbard lists political correctness alongside things like overly powerful IT corporations and government overreach. All three infringe on Americans' personal rights, she says. | Big tech, overreaching government, political correctness — our constitutional rights are under attack. As president, I'll protect your rights to free speech, c…
(2019-08-17). Tulsi Gabbard lists political correctness among threats to American values. rt.com 
Widespread efforts to silence speech deemed to be offensive threaten US constitutional rights, Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard says. Her latest campaign ad takes aim at the hot-button issue of political correctness. | In a new campaign video posted on Twitter, Gabbard lists political correctness alongside things like overly powerful IT corporations and government overreach. All three infringe on Americans' personal rights, she says. | Big tech, overreaching government, political correctness — our constitutional rights are under attack. As president, I'll protect your rights to free speech, c…
(2019-08-17). Trump's 'Deal of the Century': A plan for peace, or destruction? uwidata.com 
Trump's 'Deal of the Century' bills itself as an effort at establishing peace between Israel and Palestine, but in reality aims at advancing Israel's interests, and fundamentally altering the geopolitical balance of the Middle East. THE US' TRUE MOTIVATIONS The US established a new strategy in the Middle East after the end of World War …
(2019-08-17). #mypalestiniansitty Honors Palestinian Grandmoms, Rejects Trump. telesurenglish.net Twitter is alight with #mypalestinesitty, a hashtag being used by thousands to pay homage to their Palestinian grandmothers after United States President Trump insulted U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib—and her 90-year-old grandmother, Muftia Tlaib, who lives in the West Bank. | RELATED: | Israel Confirms Banning Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib from Visiting Palestine Over BDS Support | Muftia Tlaib responded to Trump on Saturday—"may God damn y…
(2019-08-17). After Tlaib and Omar Are Barred by Netanyahu, Why Would Any Self-Respecting Democrats in Congress Do the AIPAC Tour Again? commondreams.org House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) speaks in Washington, D.C. on April 9, 2019. (Photo by Alex Edelman/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/steny_hoyer_0.jpg …
(2019-08-17). Milwaukee VA workers fight union busting. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – Fifty Veterans Affairs workers and supporters rallied outside the Zablocki VA hospital August 12 to protest union-busting, attacks on high-quality public veteran healthcare, and bad faith bargaining by the VA administration. | The rally was organized by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3 and supported by the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, Milwaukee Area Labor Council, Veterans for Peace and elected leaders including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin. | AFGE members and representatives detailed shocking accounts of the ex…
(2019-08-16). Uncle Sam was Born Lethal. counterpunch.org 
One of the occupational and intellectual hazards of being a historian is that current events often seem far less new to oneself than they do to others. Recently a leftish liberal friend told me that the United States under the Donald Trump had "become a lethal society." My friend cited the neofascist Trump's: horrible family separations and concentration camps on the border; openly white-nationalist assaults on four progressive nonwhite and female Congresswomen; real and threatened roundups of undocumented immigrants; fascist-style and hate-filled "Make America Great Again" rallies; encouragement of white suprema…
(2019-08-16). North Korea Suspends Talks With South Korea Because of U.S. Sanctions. therealnews.com 
While U.S.-North Korea nuclear talks fail to proceed because of a lack of unanimity within the Trump administration, the North suspended peace talks with the South because of the U.S.'s refusal to lift economic sanctions, says Tim Shorrock…
(2019-08-16). Israel bans Representatives Omar and Tlaib from entering Palestine. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) have joined the ranks of thousands of human rights activists and millions of diaspora Palestinians who have been denied entry to Palestine by the occupying Israeli regime. | Reps. Omar and Tlaib had planned a congressional trip to the West Bank for next week, initially agreed to by the Israeli regime "out of respect for the U.S. Congress and the great alliance between Israel and America." However, on August 15 Israel announced a reversal of its previous decision and banned the delegation's entrance. | The announcement came imm…
(2019-08-16). Marjorie Taylor Greene: How an Outspoken MAGA Fan Built a Following in a World of Extremists. splcenter.org Originally a MAGA supporter but now an emerging MAGA star, Marjorie Taylor Greene has deftly leveraged social media and confrontations in public to increase her visibility. Now she's entering politics as a GOP candidate for Georgia's 6th Congressional District.
(2019-08-16). UN Security Council discusses Kashmir, China urges India and Pakistan to ease tensions. un.org The Security Council considered the volatile situation surrounding Kashmir on Friday, addressing the issue in a meeting focused solely on the dispute, within the UN body dedicated to resolving matters of international peace and security, for the first time since 1965.
(2019-08-16). Rojava an example of ecosocialism. greenleft.org.au 
Make Rojava Green AgainIssue 1233 Northern Syria Rojava revolution ecosocialismIn 2011, in the context of the Arab Spring, a civil war began in Syria, pitting various armed groups against President Bashar al-Assad's regime. | Rapidly, a Kurdish-majorit…
(2019-08-16). What Is Israel Trying to Hide? Reps. Tlaib & Omar Blocked from Taking Official Trip to West Bank. democracynow.org 
Israel sparked outrage Thursday when it banned two freshman Democratic congresswomen of color — Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota — from entering the country. Following outcry from Democratic leaders and Palestinians, Israel granted permission for Tlaib to enter the country on "humanitarian" grounds to visit her family in the West Bank — though Tlaib said Friday she will not visit her family under such conditions. Israel originally denied entrance to Tlaib and Omar after President Donald Trump tweeted, "It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tl…
(2019-08-16). Citing 'oppressive conditions,' Rep. Tlaib signals she won't visit Israel after entry ban reversal. rt.com 
US congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) has indicated that she will not travel to Israel to visit relatives, after Tel Aviv reversed its earlier decision to deny her entry. The US lawmaker had requested that the ban be lifted. | In a letter to Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, Tlaib asked that she be allowed to visit her elderly grandmother, who lives in the West Bank, promising that she would "respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel." | Deri granted her request but, hours later, Tlaib apparently had a change of heart. | "Silencing me & treating me like a criminal is not what [my…
(2019-08-16). Citing 'oppressive conditions,' Rep. Tlaib signals she won't visit Israel after entry ban reversal. rt.com 
US congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) has indicated that she will not travel to Israel to visit relatives, after Tel Aviv reversed its earlier decision to deny her entry. The US lawmaker had requested that the ban be lifted. | In a letter to Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, Tlaib asked that she be allowed to visit her elderly grandmother, who lives in the West Bank, promising that she would "respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel." | Deri granted her request but, hours later, Tlaib apparently had a change of heart. | "Silencing me & treating me like a criminal is not what [my…
(2019-08-15). Turkey: Women's group offers solidarity to Syrian refugees. peoplesworld.org 
Women in Turkey have come together and sent a message of solidarity with thousands of Syrian refugees being deported as authorities crack down across Istanbul. The Yoƒüurtàßu Women's Forum met in Turkey's largest city to discuss the plight of the country's 3.6 million Syrian refugees as the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government implements a …
(2019-08-15). 26-Year-Old Gun Violence Prevention Activist Is Taking on 26-Year Incumbent Rep. Bobby Rush. theintercept.com 
A 26-year-old organizer in Chicago is mounting a primary challenge to Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., who has been a member of Congress for 26 years. | Robert Emmons, whose best friend, high school classmate, and freshman roommate was shot and killed in 2015, is making gun violence prevention a cornerstone of his campaign. The Windy City experiences gun violence at alarming yet not uncommon rates, as compared to other metropolitan areas — but the number of fatal shootings is in some ways unique to Chicago, where Emmons's 21-year-ol…
(2019-08-15). Aloha from Dr. Martin Luther King and Tulsi Gabbard. mintpressnews.com 
"Aloha," says Gabbard, "is a powerful force that motivates us to take action for the well-being of others and our country." In King's famous words, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but bends toward justice." Gabbard seeks to bend the arc of history away from war toward peace.
(2019-08-15). Top scientist denounces smears of Tulsi Gabbard on Syria. thegrayzone.com Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been smeared as an Assad apologist for her efforts to end the US-backed proxy war and…
(2019-08-15). Three more humanitarian workers killed in Syria, with civilian death toll 'rising every day'. un.org An attack in the south of Syria's restive Idlib province that led to the deaths of a paramedic, an ambulance driver and a rescue worker, were added to the grim total on Thursday of more than 500 civilian fatalities documented in the country by the United Nations, over the past three and a half months alone.
(2019-08-15). As Warren and Sanders Swiftly Condemned Israel for Barring Congresswomen, Pelosi and Biden Hesitated. theintercept.com Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders were quick to criticize Israel for blocking Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden took more time.